Rolls-Royce engine technology to meet the environmental challenge

One of the biggest challenges to the civil aviation industry, both in terms of public perception and technological achievement, is to mitigate the impact of its further success on the global environment, Ric Parker, Director of Research and Technology at Rolls-Royce, said at the UK-Japan Aerospace Forum in Tokyo today.

Aviation growth has brought numerous economic and social benefits to a shrinking world. If our successors are to continue to enjoy these benefits, we must continue to use technology to reduce environmental impact of air travel, he said.

Since the invention of the jet engine, and its early application to civil transport, huge leaps have been made in efficiency, reduction of emissions and reduction of noise.

Looking to the future, aero-engine technology will need further significant advancement in order to achieve the exacting targets, to which the industry has committed.

“Rolls-Royce technology is delivering the further improvement required in environmental performance. This can be found in the latest Trent engines, such as the Trent 1000 for which ANA is the lead customer for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

In the Rolls-Royce Vision technology programme, further environmentally-friendly technologies are being developed for applications up to 20 years in the future.

Rolls-Royce is committed to delivering aeroengines that are cleaner, quieter and more efficient.

“This year, Rolls-Royce will spend over $1.5bn on research and development. The majority of this expenditure goes to make our products cleaner, more efficient and quieter,” said Mr Parker.